


A Tale of Three Recordicons and Soundwave

by eerian_sadow



Series: Nobilius [33]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Meetings, Gen, Illnesses, Implied Character Death, mentions of abuse, mentions of trauma, more tags to come probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 3,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25175125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: Soundwave is a young deployer without any recordicons, and now that he's had his final upgrades it's time to change that. Of course, he doesn't choose the easy route to find them.
Series: Nobilius [33]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/861736
Comments: 29
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

“Soundwave?” The shelter nurse looked around the room until he stood up. “We’re ready for you. This way, please.”

Soundwave cycled his vents nervously and followed the shorter mech. The other deployers he knew had told him there was no reason for him to be nervous about this, but they had also all acquired recordicon partners directly from the construction facility instead of pairing with older recordicons who had lost their partners for one reason or another. There had been a number of jokes, even, about his adopting someone older than he was from the shelter, but Soundwave wasn’t a fool; an older recordicon would have valuable experience that he did not.

They would, however, also have their own personalities, needs and tastes. Soundwave knew he might not meet any of them.

“You’ll be here, in room five. I’ll be back with the first candidate in a few joors.”

He nodded to the nurse. “Soundwave, appreciates.”

“Just take a seat and we’ll be right back.” The nurse smiled at him and gestured to the open door. Soundwave stepped into the room and the nurse closed the door behind him.

The blue mech walked across the room and took in the sparse decor as he made his way to another chair. The walls were a pale pink and there was a single bench along one wall in addition to the chair he was moving toward. A drain in the middle of the floor hinted at poor reactions to this process in the past, and he began to understand why his acquaintances had been so hesitant to take on a recordicon who had been previously partnered.

As he sat, he noticed a high pressure sprayer hanging in one corner. Soundwave tried very hard not to think about why they would need such a device or the drain in the floor.

He looked down at his feet so that he wouldn’t have to see the hose or drain and forced himself to think about the kind of partner he might find here instead of worrying over the kind of care they were receiving in this place.

A soft knock interrupted him before he could really begin to imagine the recordicons he might meet today and the door opened again. The same nurse stepped through, with a black quadrupedal recordicon walking behind him. 

Soundwave pretended he didn’t see the inhibitor collar with the leash clipped to it as the quadruped stepped into the room.

“Soundwave, this is Ravage. He was previously attached to the military and has experience in many fields.”

“Soundwave glad to meet Ravage.” He looked at the recordicon more closely, studying his feline features and bright red optics. “Soundwave would like to speak privately.”

“I’m sorry, that’s not allowed,” the nurse replied.

Ravage looked at the nurse and hissed softly. Then he padded closer to Soundwave and sat down in front of the blue mech. “You are very young.”

“Affirmative.” 

“And you speak strangely. Where were you programmed?”

“Tarn,” Soundwave replied. “Soundwave was educated in Polyhex. Soundwave speaks many dialects, however.”

“Hm. Tarn explains your unusual syntax.” Ravage leaned closer and sniffed his plating. “You aren’t diseased, good. Tell me, Soundwave, why do you want a partner who is likely to be so much older than yourself?”

“Soundwave values knowledge, experience. Soundwave knows communications, language. Does not know about rest of Cybertron.”

“That’s very wise of you.” Ravage’s ear flicked. “You are the tenth deployer I have met with this meta-cycle and the two hundredth this solar. Do you know why?”

“Ravage appears as mechanimal. Other deployers prefer mech-kin.” Soundwave resisted the urge to chew his bottom lip. The quadruped’s questions left him feeling unworthy, though he liked the poise and confidence that the recordicon was exhibiting. “Soundwave is not concerned with form. Ravage, still wise regardless of frame.”

“Flatterer.” The recordicon’s lower jaw dropped open in an approximation of a smile. “As a beastform, I require special maintenance, including annoying things like claw trims. Are you prepared for that sort of thing?”

“Yes.” He was, and had been since before he began the application process. “Soundwave already possesses tools necessary for care of beastform or mech form recordicons.”

“Smart and prepared. I like that. What if we agree to partner now, but discover that we aren’t truly compatible later?”

“Then Soundwave will support and assist Ravage in finding more appropriate partner.” He glanced at the nurse, still holding the leash, and back to the recordicon. “Ravage, has spent too much time in this place.”

“You are very right about that.” Ravage stood and stretched. The nurse flinched at the motion. The recordicon ignored him. “They're never going to give us time to get to know each other privately here, so if you’re willing to try a partnership then I would like to leave with you today. I can learn about you and communications at the same time.”

Soundwave stared for a moment. The last thing he had expected was an immediate offer of partnership from the first recordicon he had met with. “Soundwave finds this acceptable.”

“Are you sure you don’t want something more contemporary?” The nurse asked, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. “We have several mech-kin closer to your own age. We just bring in Ravage because he’s been here the longest.”

The nurse’s instant disregard solidified his earlier shocked agreement. Ravage deserved much more than life in this place, even if they decided they weren’t compatible enough for a permanent partnership. “Soundwave is certain. Ravage meets all of Soundwave’s criteria.”

“All right.” The nurse frowned and held out the leash. 

Soundwave did not reach for it. “Ravage does not require leash.”

“It’s policy. You take the leash or he stays.” 

“It’s all right, Soundwave.” Ravage bumped his head against the deployer’s knee. “I can endure the indignity long enough to leave this place.”

Soundwave glanced down at the recordicon and nodded. “Soundwave acknowledges.”

As he reached for the leash, he swore to himself that it would be the last time Ravage would ever have to endure one.


	2. Chapter 2

"Your home is smaller than I expected, given your size." Ravage peered around the main room of the apartment with critical optics. "Your head barely clears the door frames."

"Soundwave cannot afford additional space. Low ceilings, acceptable compromise for two berthrooms and shower."

"You have your own washrack?" Ravage perked up. "Is it heated?"

"Soundwave installed small solvent warmer after moving in. Insufficient for long showers, but pleasant."

"The care center barely had warm solvent to begin with, and never any left by the time the beastforms were allowed to wash." The recordicon wound himself around Soundwave's ankles like the feline he resembled. "Will you show me? I haven't had a hot shower since my discharge."


	3. Chapter 3

"What are you doing?" Ravage stood up on his hind legs to peer over Soundwave's arm at the battered data pad in his hand. "You should be in recharge."

"Soundwave, studying for advanced certification."

"Oh, what kind of advanced certification?"

"Offworld and interstellar communication arrays." Soundwave glanced at Ravage and away quickly. 

"You want to work on one of the colonies, then?" The recordicon blinked before sitting back down on the floor. "I haven't been offworld in longer than you've been alive, but I suppose it might be a nice change."

"Ravage… would come?"

"Assuming that this partnership continues to work out, yes. Though, I am surprised that you want to go."

"Soundwave's education and enhancements, very expensive."

"And the offworld jobs offer the best compensation. That makes sense, I suppose." Ravage stood back up and stretched. If I can be of assistance when you're studying, please ask. Communications was never my strong suit, but I never failed a certification test."


	4. Chapter 4

"Soundwave." 

Ravage's voice pulled his attention from his textbook almost immediately. The recordicon _never_ interrupted when he knew Soundwave was studying, so whatever he had found must have been important. "Yes?"

"There's another military recordicon at the…" Ravage hesitated for a moment, "shelter. Beast formed, but a flyer. Her specialties would complement yours well."

"Ravage wishes a cohort?"

"I don't care about that, but I don't want her to fade away in there because they won't let her fly."

"Soundwave must re-apply for new adoption. Previous approval only for single recordicon."

"And they'll probably demand I come too. I know. It could take a while." Ravage jumped down from the desk and crossed the room. Then he put his front paws on Soundwave's knees and pushed himself up to peer into his host's optics. "I will relive every trauma they inflicted on me to get another beast form to safety. Please say you'll help me."

"Soundwave will help." He reached out and rested a hand on the top of Ravage's head. "Additional fuel needs will require that Ravage find employment."

"That's a fair deal. Thank you, Soundwave."


	5. Chapter 5

The shelter was as depressing as he remembered as he walked inside. Ravage was transformed and resting safely in his chest compartment, and the deployer was glad for it; he didn't need to witness the way any of the other recordicons were treated.

Especially not the sickly looking flyer, who was in the process of being surrendered by an equally sickly looking deployer. Like the femme they had come to see, this recordicon was shaped like a crystal condor--a popular design among military based recordicons, according to Ravage--and was painted a black and gold that were probably striking when they were in good health. 

As they drew closer to the counter where they would check in, the condor butted its head weakly against its deployer's chin as tears began streaming down the mech's face. The shelter employee sighed and dropped a data pad down in front of them.

"I've told you three times now. If you don't sign the documents, the shelter will not accept your recordicon."

"They said you would give him medical care!" The deployer's voice rasped as he spoke, and Soundwave could see the rust forming around his optics and mouth. The mech was likely not long for the world, and had possibly waited too long to get help for his friend. "I can't leave him to be euthanized if no one will pay for his treatment!"

"Then you can't leave him here." The employee frowned and pulled back the data pad. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The deployer choked back a sob, loudly, and hugged the recordicon closer to his chest. The small mechanism crooned at him, clearly trying to comfort his companion.

Soundwave felt his spark ache at the sight, and knew that he had to rescue this recordicon as well as the one they had come to see. He didn't know how they would pay for his care, but they would figure it out. Quickly, he sent a signal to Ravage to wake him and then transmitted a brief summary of the events to his companion. 

Ravage replied with a request to be ejected. 

Soundwave opened his chest and let Ravage out. His companion transformed mid-air and landed neatly next to the strangers that the clerk was still trying to send away.

For the first time since their arrival, the clerk noticed Soundwave. He frowned. "Can I help you?"

"Soundwave, has appointment to meet with potential cohort partner." He glanced at Ravage, who had started conversing with the strangers in one of the coded languages used by the military. 

"Oh." The clerk turned to glance at the computer with partial focus as he tried to keep watching the other deployer and his recordicon. "Here you are, yes. The beast form, really?"

"Animal form recordicons suffer no cognitive deficiencies, are skilled. Soundwave finds them highly compatible." He felt Ravage take a moment to preen at the compliment, small though it had been. "Soundwave wishes to meet Laserbeak."

"All right. Let me call one of the others. I cant leave the counter now."

"Soundwave acknowledges."

 _"Go meet her without me. I'll handle these two."_ Ravage's comm didn't surprise him; not saying they would take the recordicon out loud would be the best way to prevent unnecessary obstacles. 

_"Ravage wishes to be consulted after Soundwave meets Laserbeak?"_

_"I trust your judgment. And you already know I just want her out of here. We can help her find another home afterward, if necessary."_

_"Acknowledged."_

"This way, please." A second shelter employee stepped into the foyer from a side door. "The meeting room is ready for you."

"We'll wait for you outside," Ravage told Soundwave. The flying recordicon bobbed his head in agreement. 

"Acknowledged." Soundwave nodded once to his companion and then followed the employee further into the shelter.


	6. Chapter 6

When he stepped into the meeting room, another employee was chaining Laserbeak to a perch. The recordicon was clicking in distressed confusion, which made Soundwave want to pull her to his chest and comfort her, but she wasn't trying to fight. The deployer was grateful for that; Ravage had told him stories about other animal-formed recordicons who had never learned to stay calm when they were being treated so badly, and the staff had euthanized all of them. 

It was obvious that no one here thought they were actual people, and not the mechanimals they were modeled after.

He approached the flyer before the staff member had finished locking the chains. She looked up at him quickly, visibly taking care to make sure she didn't look like she was lunging at him. "Oh, I'm meeting a deployer. No one told me. Are you here to laugh at me like the last one?"

"Negative. Soundwave, seeking additional partner."

"And what, exactly, makes me more appealing than the cute little mech forms in the nursery or a spark directly from the factory?" Bitterness laced her tone. Soundwave didn't feel insulted by it; nothing that had been done to her since her discharge was likely to have given her a reason to trust him.

"Laserbeak is experienced in communication, video recording, hardware maintenance. Soundwave is communication technician."

"That much makes sense I suppose. What if I don't want to do that anymore?"

Soundwave shrugged. "Laserbeak, no longer in military. Laserbeak, free to make own choices with Soundwave."

"It sounds so nice when you say it, but how do I know that I can trust you? You didn't even bother to bring your other companions."

"Soundwave intended to bring Ravage. Ravage currently assisting another deployer with emergency." It was close enough to the truth, until Laserbeak was signed over to him and they were safely outside. 

"Ravage?"

Soundwave nodded. "Ravage of Stanix. Soundwave has been fortunate to have such a partner."

"For how long?"

"Seven meta-cycles."

"Ravage is a legend, and he never stays with anyone that long." Laserbeak shook her wings, rattling the chains draped across them. "If you're good enough for him, I can at least give you a trial run."

The deployer sighed with relief. He hadn't wanted to argue with her about leaving. "Soundwave appreciates Laserbeak's trust."


	7. Chapter 7

Ravage and the other condor-framed recordicon were waiting across the street when Soundwave stepped out of the shelter with Laserbeak perched on his shoulder. The sickly deployer was nowhere to be seen. 

“I gave him ten shanix and told him to go get energon for himself and our new companion,” Ravage said as the deployer approached. “Neither of them has had fuel in several cycles.”

If this recordicon needed extensive medical care, they would mourn the loss of even ten shanix, but Soundwave didn’t disagree with the action. He couldn’t allow the pair to go unfuelled any more than Ravage, and he didn’t have the connection of having been in the military like them. “Soundwave approves.”

Laserbeak didn’t give either of them time to say anything else before launching herself off his shoulder with a dismayed cry. She glided down next to the pair on the sidewalk and cuddled up to the sick recordicon immediately. As he stepped out of the road, Soundwave heard her ask, “Buzzsaw, what _happened_?”

“You two know each other?” Ravage asked, tilting his head with curiosity.

“We’re twins,” Buzzsaw rasped softly, voice rough with damage and whatever illness he had contracted.

“But we weren’t assigned together or discharged together,” Laserbeak added. “I never thought I would see him again.”

Soundwave frowned at the sadness in her voice. He couldn’t imagine the pain of being separated from a twin, though he understood the longing of leaving a sibling behind. “Soundwave is grateful for excellent timing.”

“Agreed,” Ravage bobbed his head once. “I don’t generally believe in any higher power, but this was clearly meant to be.”

“Yes.” Laserbeak nuzzled her twin carefully. “Soundwave, this is my brother, Buzzsaw.”

“Soundwave, is glad to meet. Soundwave will do everything possible to care for Buzzsaw.”

“Not just Soundwave.” Ravage scooted closer to the pair of flyers and let Buzzsaw rest against his side. “We will both do our best to help him.”

“You’re Ravage?” Laserbeak looked up at him with wide optics.

“I am, yes.”

“You saved my entire squad once, in the Sonic Canyon. If I can trust anyone with my brother, it’s you.” 

They were prevented from saying anything else by the return of the sickly deployer. He held out a small cube of energon wordlessly, and Soundwave took it to hold for Buzzsaw so the recordicon could drink.


	8. Chapter 8

Ravage had introduced the other deployer as Shortwave, a former recording engineer for the Kaon army. He and Buzzsaw had been discharged at the end of the conflict with Polyhex three solar cycles ago and had been living on the streets because Shortwave’s pension wasn’t enough to cover any of their basic necessities. They hadn’t been lving well, but they had been getting by until his pension was cut off without any notice. It hadn’t taken them long to burn through the tiny amount of shanix they had saved, and without those funds to pay for treatment at the clinic, neither of them were able to fight off the rust infection they had picked up from another mech at a shelter.

Soundwave’s spark ached for them, and he wished fiercely that he could do more than take Buzzsaw.

“I know that look, youngling.” Shortwave gave him a weak smile. “But you can’t save us both. I’m grateful that you can do this much.”

“Soundwave, has additional room,” He cuddled the recharging form of Buzzsaw close to his chest as they walked toward a small clinic that the other deployer had known about. “Shortwave can--”

“No. They’ll need that space. And we both know that i’ll just be a drain on whatever resources you have until I deactivate.” Shortwave shook his head. “You and your cohort will be a great audio-visual team once Buzzsaw’s better.”

“Soundwave does not wish to leave Shortwave to die.”

“It’s all right. I’ve never been afraid of dying.” The older mech wiped a few rust flakes away from his optics, along with a tear. “I probably wouldn’t have stayed this long, if Buzzsaw hadn’t needed someone to look out for him.”

“Shortwave should at least come into clinic for evaluation.” Soundwave stopped outside the door to the clinic as he spoke. Buzzsaw stirred but didn’t wake.

“No. It’s better this way. Take him inside and let the doctor look him over. Tell him he was the best partner I ever had when he wakes up.”

Soundwave reached for Shortwave as the other mech started walking again, but the motion jostled the recordicon in his arms just enough for one of Buzzsaw’s rust patches to split and drip energon onto his plating. With a heavy spark, Soundwave followed the other deployer’s orders and turned away from him.

The sterile smell that greeted him when he opened the door to the clinic was not as soothing as it might have been another time.


	9. Chapter 9

“Shortwave?” Buzzsaw came online slowly, registering the warm body cuddled next to him first and the sterile smell of a hospital second, and turned his head to look for his partner. Laserbeak was the warm body next to him, he realized as he took in the small recovery room, but Shortwave was nowhere to be seen. In fact, he and his twin were alone in the room, as far as he could tell.

“He didn’t…” Laserbeak’s optics flickered on and she gave him a sympathetic look. “He wouldn’t stay. Soundwave tried to get him to come in, but…”

“Oh.” Buzzsaw felt a pang of grief. He wanted to say goodbye again, at the very least, but he had also desperately wanted his partner to seek treatment for himself, too. “Did he leave a message at least?”

“He said to tell you that you were the best partner he ever had.” His twin nuzzled the side of his face that wasn’t numb from repair. “I don’t think he knew how to say goodbye.”

“Yeah.” That much, at least, Buzzsaw understood. He didn’t really know how to say goodbye either. “Still.”

“I know.” Laserbeak nuzzled him again. “What can I do to help?”

“I don’t know.” He twisted his neck around so that he could rest his head against his sister’s back. “BUt this helps.”

She crooned softly. “Okay. Let me know if there’s anything else.”

Laserbeak and Buzzsaw were curled together on the recovery berth when Soundwave and Ravage stepped into the room. The black and gold recordicon was already looking much better, though there were still dull patches on his plating that would break out into rust again if he didn’t receive proper care.

Care that he wasn’t certain he would be able to provide given how much extra work he would have to do to pay for the internal repairs and plating replacements Buzzsaw had needed. 

“Don’t worry so much,” Ravage said softly, butting his head gently against Soundwave’s knee. “We’ll figure it out. I’m sure someone else in the complex needs to make a few extra shanix and would help with his care.”

“I’ll take care of him,” Laserbeak said softly from the berth. “You don’t need to hire anyone.”

“Soundwave acknowledges.” He wasn’t sure how well that would work out, because Laserbeak might also have to get a temporary job to pay for the repairs, but that would be something to work out once they were all safely home. “Buzzsaw prepared to leave?”

“He’s in recharge again, but we talked for a little while. He’s lucid, and upset, but none of the stuff we were told to watch for.”

Soundwave nodded, relieved. If Buzzsaw had reacted badly to any of the repair process, he would have needed to stay overnight and that would have complicated things greatly, as his employer was too far from the clinic to take a transport to for his shift. 

“I’ll tell the medic, then.” Ravage butted his knee again before turning away. 

On the berth, Laserbeak nuzzled her twin. “Let’s not wake him until we have to. He’s grieving.”

Soundwave understood. Shortwave had been his partner for a long time, and the loss had to hurt. “Affirmative. Soundwave, will carry Buzzsaw home.”

“Thank you, Soundwave.”


End file.
